


Safe in your Arms

by Kaoru_chibimaster



Series: Gladnoct Week 2017 [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Gladnoct Week, Hugs, cuteness, i say that and yet this one isn't technically a pairing, injuries, kid noctis - Freeform, young gladio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-08 02:14:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12854556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoru_chibimaster/pseuds/Kaoru_chibimaster
Summary: If laughter was the best medicine then hugs were a close second.





	Safe in your Arms

**Author's Note:**

> I know this isn't very shippy, but it was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the prompt.

Gladio seized up when he heard the cry of pain.

He’d been training with Noctis for months, admittedly knocking him around more than he needed to before they finally forged a friendship, and not once had he heard such a noise come from the boy. It had been an almost absentminded hit, meant to punish a bad guard. Noctis was far from being able to use his magic to phase and warp, and he needed to be able to physically block and dodge when it came down to it. Even when he did gain access to such magic, stasis was always a possibility. Regardless of the situation, Noctis’ poor guard was something that needed to be corrected. And Gladio did so the same way his father did for him: by punishing it.

Again, it was absentminded. He wasn’t out to hurt the prince, that’d be counterproductive. If he spent too much time battering him up, Noctis would never get to learn anything. But Gladio couldn’t go soft on his prince either. The kid needed to realize how dangerous bad guards in sword fights were. So he saw the opportunity and he took it.

Probably not the best idea, he realized as he hovered over the small prince who was now curled up in pain. Gladio had no idea what to do in this situation, having never caused such a reaction before. Having never _seen_ such a reaction before, at that. He fell to his knees, holding his hands over Noctis frantically, trying to find the source of the pain. Noctis wasn’t helping much, curling tighter into himself as he bit at his lip to hold back the tears.

“Noct?” he started, still hovering over the boy as he tried to figure out what to do. “Noct, what hurts? You gotta tell me what hurts!”

Looking over his shoulder, Gladio called for a guard in hopes that someone might know what was wrong. He turned back to Noctis and finally softly touched his arm, hoping to at least provide comfort.

“It’ll be okay,” he continued, hoping his panic didn’t leak into his voice. “I’m sorry, Noct. It’ll be okay.”

When the guard returned, the King and Gladio’s father were in tow, rushing towards the curled up prince. King Regis crouched down beside his son, asking what happened. Gladio dutifully told him the truth, inwardly dreading punishment for what he’d done. Whatever he’d done. After all, he wasn’t aware he needed to be careful with the prince, had never been told that hitting him somewhere could cause such pain. A small part of him argued that this wouldn’t be enough. This wasn’t an excuse. He was Noct’s shield, he should have known…

The king only sighed though, nodding at his explanation before picking Noctis up carefully, being particularly gentle with his back. Gladio stood as well, ready to follow before he felt his father’s hand fall heavily on his shoulder. Gulping, he turned to face what he knew would be the stern and severe face of the current king’s shield. Instead, he only found sorrow on his father’s face.

It hadn’t taken long for Clarus to explain to Gladio exactly what was going on. Apparently the injuries Noctis had suffered during the daemon attack two years prior still flared up occasionally. They were fully healed, but sometimes they would still cause Noctis pain. And Gladio had been unlucky enough to hit him in the back during one of those flare ups. He’d been forgiven for not knowing and warned to be wary of Noct’s back and knee during future training sessions, and then he’d been sent on his way.

He hadn’t exactly agreed with the lack of punishment, still feeling terrible about what he’d done. So soon after he and Noctis started to form a friendship, it felt wrong to ruin it by hurting him so badly. It felt wrong to hurt his prince so badly at all. After leaving his father’s side, he quickly found himself en route to the room Noctis had been put in, hoping to apologize. It probably wouldn’t mean much. More than likely, he’d set things back to square one and Noctis probably wouldn’t even want to see him, let alone hear anything he had to say. Gladio wouldn’t let that deter him though. It needed to be said, if only to ease his own conscience.

Poking his head into the room, brushing passed one of the two guards stationed at the door, he found Noctis’ small form laid out on a large, soft looking bed. The pinched expression was gone from his face, the pain having been soothed, and instead he only peeked over to the opened door in boredom, likely expecting either a doctor or his own father. His eyes widened slightly when he caught sight of Gladio, though in surprise, the young shield had noted, not in fear. He’d taken that as encouragement and stepped fully into the room. Slowly, tentatively, he walked towards the prince. Noctis only watched him in curiosity.

“I um…I wanted to apologize,” Gladio said, sinking down into the bedside chair. Noctis raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t you already?” he asked.

“Yeah, but—I couldn’t…! I can’t just…”

Noctis seemed to take pity on the older boy’s nervous stammering, shaking his head. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I know it was an accident.”

Gladio was unsure of what to even say at that point, and thus kept silent. Noctis pushed himself up with shaky arms and, unable to watch someone smaller than him suffer, Gladio quickly moved to help him.

“Anyway, Dad says this doesn’t mean you’re allowed to go easy on me during training,” Noctis grimaced, his nose wrinkling. “But I am supposed to tell you when the scars hurt so we can take a break from training when they do.”

“I…okay. Got it. I really am sorry though.”

Noctis sighed in exasperation. “I get it already! I already told you, you didn’t know.”

Turning towards Gladio, Noctis held a stubborn look on his face as he reached out his arms.

“Here.”

Gladio only raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”

“ _Here!_ ” Noctis emphasized, rolling his eyes and stretching his arms out farther. “I’m accepting your apology, since you won’t drop it.”

Grinning in bemusement, Gladio gently accepted the prince into his arms, hugging him around the middle and being careful to avoid his lower back. Noctis seemed to melt into the hug, sighing contently as he sagged against the thirteen year old and buried his face into Gladio’s shirt.

“You give the best hugs,” he mumbled. Gladio snorted, decidedly amused this time.

“Yeah, I hear the same from Iris.”

Gripping Noctis a little tighter, he pulled away slightly to look down at the head of black hair.

“You’re really okay though?”

“I’m really, _really_ okay. Now get back here, I’m not done hugging you!”

Gladio’s grin widened as he was pulled back against the prince’s small form, happy to offer hugs to the boy. If Noctis found comfort in them, then he supposed they were the least he could do. And, he figured, this likely meant his apology really was accepted. He’d take it. Hugs were a small price to pay if that was all it took to be forgiven.

And he had to admit, he liked them just as much as the prince seemed to.


End file.
